Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a circuit. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an input/output (I/O) circuit.
Description of Related Art
The current technology is such that integrated circuit (ICs) can be used to execute various different types of operations simultaneously. The capability of ICs may be enhanced by packaging more circuits in one chip or by integrating circuits with different purposes in one element. For example, a control chip may include digital circuits and analog circuits to process digital signals and analog signals, and to perform corresponding functions.
However, in a state where it is desired for the above-mentioned chip to process analog signals through an I/O terminal, if an abnormal condition (for example, an overcurrent condition) is encountered, effective protection of the above-mentioned I/O terminal is not possible, and moreover, it is not possible to know if any abnormal condition in the above-mentioned I/O terminal has occurred. Consequently, malfunctioning of the above-mentioned chip may occur during use.